Ash-conveying system.



A. P. STRBNG.

ASH CONVEYING SYSTEM. APPLICATIONIILED 00111, 1916.

Paterited Jan. 9, 1917,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABE-HUB PANY, OF EAST CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ASH-CONVEYING SYSTEM.

hpplication filed October 11, 1916. Serial No. 124,923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR P. STRONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new-and useful Improvemeents in Ash-Conveying Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in conveying systems for abrasive materials, and more particularly to a member adapted to form a part of the pipe line or conduit of such systems and designed to permit the alteration or replacement of portions of the pipe which are subjected to excessive wear or abrasive action, without materially disturbing the system or the particular pipe line in which such portions occur.

Conveying systems of the character to which this invention relates ordinarily comprise metal conduits or pipe lines of suitable capacity, through which ashes or like abrasive materials are conducted or moved pneumatically, that is, by means of suction created within the pipe line by suitableblower or fan mechanism. The character of the service demanded of conveying systems of this type, ordinarily involves a construction of connected vertical, horizontal, and even oblique runs or lengths of pipe, thus the presence of sharp bends or turns in the pipe line and the use of elbows or similar pipe fittings is unavoidable in the usual installation. Those familiar with the construction and maintenance of pneumatic conveying systems are well aware that the presence of abrupt bends or turns in a pipe line is accompanied by an excessive or unequal degree of wear at such points, resulting from increased abrasive action of the material that must necessarily occur where the direction of flow of the material is abruptly altered. It follows, therefore, that the elbows or like fittings are subject to an excessive degree of wear, and to prolong the life of the same removable wearing plates or backs are provided. The excessive abrasive action, however, is not confined entirely to the elbow or the curved portion of the pipe, but has been found to extend throughout a considerable f Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

part of the straight pipe immediately beyond the bend and in the direction of flow of the ashes, this being accounted for by the fact that the material does not immediately resume its normal flow upon leaving the elbow, but for some distance is carried along in contact with the surface of the pipe until it regains its momentum and resumes a path more nearly axial of the pipe or passage. In order to provide for the wear at this particular portion of the pipe line, it has been found desirable to employ a short length of pipe which may be removed and replaced from time to time. eration of removing and replacing a pipe section, however short in length it may be, entails considerable labor and expense, and under certain conditions is an exceedingly difiicult operation, as for instance where the short pipe section is located in a vertical pipe line or riser which extends upwardly from an elbow connecting the sametwith a horizontal pipe. In such a construction, the entire weight of the riser, and even other parts of the system radiating therefrom, is supported upon the short pipe to be removed, and it follows that, in order to remove the short pipe or evento turn it axially, the employment of an elaborate arrangement of supporting devices is required for temporarily supporting that part of the pipe line above the section.

The purpose of this invention, therefore, is to provide a construction which embodies in general a removable pipe section together with a spacing member or spacer and means for adjusting the spacing member to permit the short pipe section to be removed, said spacer acting to replace or assume the load of the pipe section during the operation of removal or adjustment.

The structure embodying the features of the invention is hereinafter described in full and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of the construction embodying the features of the invention and taken on line 11 of Fig. 4; Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation taken I. STRONG, OF O HIOAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GREEN ENGINEERING COM- The opon line 2-2 of Fig. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

and Fig. 4 is a view in cross section taken on line 44 of Fi 1, showing the spacing member in end evation.

Referring to the drawings, a part of a usual type of ash conveying systems is shown as constructed of cast-iron pipe of standard design, havin flanged ends and connecting bolts for joimng the ends of the pipes together in the usual manner. The horizontal pipe 10 may be considered to be carrIy'mg the ashes in a direction toward the e bow fitting 11, which connects said pipe 10 with a vertical pipe'12, also. of standard design, there being interposed between said elbow 11 and the lower end of the vertical pipe 12 the structure emboding the invention and which will now be described in detail.

The device comprises two princi al elements, namely, a spacin mem er or spacer 13 and a removab e pi section 14. The body ortion o the s acing member consists o a cast-iron, ho low casing, U-shaped in cross-sectional contour and havin a semicircular wall ortion 15 and straig t and parallel end we portions 16, 16 (Fig. 3), the former having a diameter considerably greater than thediameter of the pipe section 12 and elbow 11. The casin 18 open at its ends and is there provid with integral flan es 17, 17 projecting outwardly from the b0 y .of thee aeer an throughout the semicircular an parallel wall portions 15 and 16.

e spacing member 13 is connected or joined at its ends to the pipe section 12 and elbow 11 in the following manner. Surrounding the pipe 12 at a point somewhat above its end is a collar 18 permanently connected to the pipe by means of bolts 19, which extend through bolt holes in said collar and engage a plurality of lugs 20 formed integral w1th the ipe and spaced at suitable distances about t e outer surface thereof. The collar 18 is somewhat irregular in shape, corresponding in this respect to the general shape of the casing of the spacin member 13, the outer margins of said col ar being in alinement with the outer margins of the flan e 17 just below.

T e col ar 18 isconnected tothe body. portion of the spacing member" 13 by a plurality of bolts 21, which extend downwardly through a series of bolt holes formed in the collar and through similarly arranged bolt holes in the upper flange 17 of the casing. These bolts 21 are rovided with comparatively longzethreade shanks and heads 22, the latter arin upon the upper surface of the collar. he bolts 21 are firmly secured to the collar to prevent endwise movement relative thereto by means of nuts 23, which are firmly screwed against the un- 17 of the 01' wear .of the pipe 12 and elbow 11.

der side of the 0611..., thus holding the m a tightly between said nuts 23 and the heads 22 of said bolts. Mounted u n the shank of each bolt and above and be ow the flange spacer '13 are nuts 24 and 25, respectivel having screw-threaded engage ment wi the shank. These nuts are a apted to effect the-ad'ustment of the device, in a manner herein to be described.

- The lower end of the spacing member 18 is joined to the adjacent end of the elbow 11 by means of the usual flanged joint, the elbow being preferably provided with a flange 26, of the same contour as the adjacent-flange 17 of the spacer and provided with bolt holes in alinement with bolt,holes in said flange 17 the same being arranged in the same manner as the bolt holes of the up r flanges 17 hereinbefore described. Bolt: 27 extend through the bolt holes in the usual manner.

The removable pipe or wear section 14 consists of a short en h of pipe of a diameter equal to that o the pipe section 12. The thickness of the pipe section may be standard, or even thicker if desired to provide more metal and thus increase the life thereof. The ends of the pi are plain, that is, without flan and a apted to bear a ainst the ends 0 the pipe 12 and the e w 11, the abutting surfaces bein preferably smooth in order to insure a tig t joint.

. When in position the wear section is substanthe fact that the weight of t e pipe 12 and 'parts of the system is normally exerted upon the wear section, and that this weight or com ression force is ample to hold the same firm y in place and in contact with the ends Obviously, therefore, to remove the wear section it is necessary to remove the weight from the wear section and, further, to spread the pipe 12 and elbow 11 apart a distance suflicient to permit the wear section to be released. This is accomplished by means of the adjustment nuts 24 and 25, hereinbefore referred to. Byloosening or screwing downwardly the under nuts 25 and then tightening or screwing down the upper nuts 24, the collar 18 and the flange 17 of the spacing member are separated, thus efiectin the lengthening of the same, to the end t at the pipe 12 and elbow 11 are forced apart, thereby enabling the wear section to be removed. So, also, the lengthening of the spacing member acts to lift the weight of the pipe above the wear section and to support such weightduring the operation of removing and replacing the wear section, and at the same time maintaining the pipe 12 and elbow 11 in perfect alinevthe pipe 12 and elbow ment and in rigid connection. A new wear section having been inserted in position and properly alined, the adjustment nuts 24 are screwed upwardly, which permits the weight of the pipe 12 to descend upon the wear section, securing the same firmly in place, and

without the use of other means for so doing,

plishes the spreading or spacing of the pipe sections, yet is an integral part of the pipe line, and effective in that it accomplishes its function with very little effort, requiring no preliminary preparation, and makes it possible to complete the necessary alterations or adjustments in a short space of time, thus the operation of the system need be interrupted but for a short interval of time.

The features of my invention herein described and illustrated are more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a system for conveying abrasive 'materials, the combination of two permanent pipe sections, a removable pipe section interposed between the ends of said permanent pipe sections, and a spacing member connecting the ends of said permanent pipe sections and capable of longitudinal adjustment.

2. In a system for conveying abrasive ma- -terials, the combination of two permanent pipe sections, a removable pipe section interposed between the ends of said permanent,

pipe sections, a spacing member connected to the ends of said permanent pipe sections and adapted to maintain the same in spaced relation, and means for varying the distance between the ends of said permanent pipe sections.

3. In a system for conveying abrasive materials, the combination with two pipe sections, of a pacing member interposed between and connecting the ends of said pipe sections, a removable pipe section insertible between the ends of said pipe sections, and means for adjusting the length of said spacing member.

4. In a conveying system for abrasive materials, the combination of two pipe sections, a s acing member connecting the ends of sai pipe sections, adjusting means associated with said spacing member for varying the distance'between the ends of said pipe sections, and a removable pipe section insertible between the ends of said first mentioned pipe sections and adaptedto be retained by pressure exerted by said first mentioned pipe sections.

5. In a conveying system for abrasive materials, the combination of two permanent pipe sections, a removable pipe section interposed between the ends of said permanent pipe sections, and an extensible spacing member connecting the ends of said permanentpipe sections and embracing said removable pipe section.

6. In a system for conveying abrasive materials, the combination of two permanent pipe sections, a removable pipe section interposed between and having abutting relation at its ends with the ends of said permanent pipe sections, and a spacing member embracing said removable pi c section and connecting the ends of said i-Frst mentioned pipe sections, said spacing member comprising adjusting means for separating the ends of said permanent pipe sections to permit the'removal of said removable pipe section.

7 In a system for conveying abrasive materials, the combination with two permanent pipe sections, of a removable pipe section interposed between and having abutting relation at its ends with the ends of said first mentioned pipe sections, a spacing member extending between and connected to the ends of said permanent pipe sections and comprising a substantially hollow casing suradjustment devices adapted to spread apart the ends of said permanent pipe sections.

8. In a system for conveying abrasive materials, the combination of two pipe sections, a wear section interposed between the ends of said pipe sections, a spacing member comprising a hollow casing substantially surrounding said wear section and connecting the ends of said pipe sections, and adjustable members interposed between said casing and the end of one of said pipe sections, and capable of spreading apart the ends of said pipe sections.

9. In a system for conveying abrasive materials, the combination of pipe sections, a wear section interposed between the ends of said pipe sections, a spacing member comprising a hollow casing surroundin said wear section and rigidly connected to t e end of one of said pipe sections, and a collar rigidly connected to the end of the other of said pipe sections and adjustably connected with said casing.

10. In a system for conveying abrasive materials, the combination of two pipe sections, a wear section interposed between the ends of said pipe sections, a spacing mem- 100 rounding said removable pipe section, and

Ii .v 1,211,600

ber said wear section and resence of two witnesses, this 2nd day of oonn with the ends of sand p1 e ctober, A. D. 1916.

sections, and means for spreading apart t e ARTHUR P. STRONG. ends of said pipe sections. 1 Witnesses: 5 In testimony that I claim the foregoing J. MAURY TAGGART,

as my invention, I aflix my signature in the H. R. WILSON. 

